This invention relates to improvements in the design and construction of Monotube Steam Generators.
Steam has been a major source of power for more than two centuries, but latterly has to a large extent been supplanted by the internal combustion engine and electricity, especially in the field of transport. However, steam is still widely used in electrical power generation, with oil or solid fuel being the prime energy source, whilst heat produced by nuclear reactors is also employed for this purpose. Conventional boilers of the firetube or watertube type when operating contain large quantities of water at high temperatures and pressures, with potential danger in the event of structural failure. Locomotive boilers are most usually of the firetube type, whilst the watertube variety are widely employed in the marine field and in electricity generating stations.
Because of the considerable danger in event of structural failure, the design and construction of conventional boilers is subject to strict controls and legislation, with stringent initial and periodic inspections and testing being almost universally required for insurance purposes, thus both high constructional and operating costs prevail. An alternative to conventional boilers is the monotube steam generator, wherein steam is only produced as and when needed, from just the required quantity of water. However, their use has been limited for certain technical reasons, in spite of their considerable asset of inherent safety, the object of this invention is to overcome some of these technical disadvantages.